Ai Weiwei Publishes 'On Censorship' (2026) Examining State Repression and Self-Censorship

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has released a new book titled 'On Censorship' through Thames & Hudson in 2026. The publication explores how censorship operates under authoritarian regimes and in Western democracies, drawing from Ai's personal experiences with state persecution. His father, poet Ai Qing, was forced into labor camp toilet cleaning during Ai Weiwei's childhood. In 2011, Chinese authorities detained the artist without charge for 81 days, leading to his eventual exile. More recently, Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek was programmed to erase knowledge of Ai Weiwei. The book argues that censorship strips innocence from youth and kindness from elders while fostering selfishness over justice. Ai Weiwei notes that Western censorship relies heavily on self-censorship, creating societies that become emotionally numb and creatively void. He cites the 2023 cancellation of his London exhibition by Lisson Gallery after he posted about the Gaza conflict as evidence that Western institutions also engage in silencing. The publication warns that surveillance systems collapse when people stop fearing them, emphasizing that reclaiming free speech requires collective refusal to participate in censorship mechanisms.